A single motion, and Han Guâs figure retreated at lightning speed, his eyes narrowing.
At that moment, a towering
Demonic City
âits walls as black as obsidianârose before him, bridging earth and sky in a display of awe-inspiring grandeur. Within its bounds, Ye Yu and Monk Wuguo stood immobile, their eyes clenched shut and their spirits in turmoilâclearly under the Mind Devil Godâs control.
Han Guâs expression grew grave. He had never faced a mind devil this potent before. Fortunately, its cultivation was only at the peak of the Golden Divine Stage; otherwise, even he might have succumbed. He weighed whether to cleave the city open and rescue Ye Yu at onceâafter all, Ye Yuâs strength could not endure this torment for long.
But after a momentâs thought, Han Gu let his
Soul-Piercing Divine Sword
lower. Not that he didnât intend to save him, but that he would wait. The Mind Devilâs assault could temper Ye Yuâs spirit: if he struck before Ye Yuâs mind fractured completely, the trial would greatly benefit the younger man. And by intervening at the crucial moment, Han Gu could both maximize his lifesaving debt and demonstrate to his prospective son-in-law the might of a father-in-lawâensuring Ye Yu remained earnest and loyal to his daughterâs cultivation.
Resolved, Han Gu gripped his sword and stood guard at the cityâs edge, ready to strike at a momentâs notice.
Within the Demonic City, the Mind Devil God had dissolved into a formless will. He stared in disbelief at the northwest cornerâjust moments ago, only he and the monk had been here. Now another deity had appeared. Could this newcomer be the monkâs accomplice?
Radiant crimson light shone from the Mind Devilâs eyes as he swept the cityâand at last he discerned Ye Yuâs guise. Discovering Ye Yu was merely in the late New God Stage, he sneered and altered his estimation: the monk was at the Heavenly Divine Stage, so any ally should match that power. Recruiting a weak New God Stage deity was unthinkableâhardly worth a second glance. Clearly, Ye Yu had stumbled in by mistake, fleeing for coverâalas, it was too late.
Turning back, the Mind Devil God renewed his assault on Monk Wuguo. The Buddha phantasm behind the monk blurred, on the verge of collapse. The Mind Devilâs dark waves swirled like a gale until the phantasm shattered completely.
Monk Wuguoâs body, once vibrant, began to gray from the feet upward in a deathly pallor. Though the process was slow, it was inexorable. In less than the time it took an incense stick to burn, the monk stood as a crumbling stone statueâbut even in that stony form, a flicker of golden light pulsed at his heart.
From within the statue, the Mind Devil God drifted forth with no joy in his expression. The monkâs pure Buddha heart had proved stubbornly resilient. Though the Mind Devil had invaded it freely, his corruption crept only slowly. It would take far more time to snuff out that divine spark.
Yet the monk posed no further threat. With a thought, the Mind Devil God turned to deal with the unfortunate New God Stage intruder.
In an instant of divine will, Ye Yu materialized before the Mind Devil Godâa power of his
Path
:
Heaven-Piercing Demon Mind
. Within the Demonic City, he stood unmatched.
The Mind Devil Godâs mask twisted in mockery. Though one of Ye Yuâs rank seldom inspired fear, even a mosquito is still meat. Consider it sport. He raised a hand to press upon Ye Yuâs brow.
Outside, Han Gu stiffened and gripped his sword, prepared to breach the city and slay the devil.
Inside, Ye Yuâs heart pounded. He had no control of his body; he could only watch the Mind Devilâs finger draw near.
Then a slightly aged voice echoed in his mind: âHissâone does not often encounter such â NĐŸvĐ”lŃgÒ»Ń â (Continue reading) robust soul energy. This is a mighty tonic!â
Ye Yuâs heart leapt. What was this? Why had an outsiderâs voice intruded? A system? Impossibleâno system could invade a dream. That left only one possibility: the ring spirit of his
Soul-Cleaving Spirit-Slaying Knife
(his high-grade artifact).
âć° one,â the voice said, âI can lend you powerâsimply do one thing: swing the blade and let me feast on this fiend!â
At that moment, Ye Yuâs Storage Ring glowed, and the wooden blade of his
Spirit-Slaying Knife
materialized in his palm. A surge of pure divine power flooded him, elevating his strength to mid-Great Divine Stage.
He barely had time to register this boon before the Mind Devil God loomed over him. To seize the chance, Ye Yu drove the wooden blade in a downward slash.
The Mind Devil Godâs eyes widened in surpriseâhow could this puny New God Stage deity so suddenly break free and wield Great Divine power? Curious beyond measure, he made no move to dodgeâafter all, in this city he was the sole true god, indestructible. His focus lay elsewhere: he sought to delve into Ye Yuâs heart sea.
With a crack through empty air, Ye Yuâs wooden blade cleaved the Mind Devilâs ethereal form with no resistance. The devil did not flinchâuntil countless arcane sigils flickered to life along the bladeâs edge, unleashing a voracious pull that began to consume the Mind Devilâs soul body.
Fear replaced the mockery on his face. All his struggles were futile; he could only watch as his soul was drawn into the blade until it vanished utterly.
Simultaneously, Han Gu shattered the Demonic Cityâs walls and strode inside. He fixed his gaze on the
Spirit-Slaying Knife
, his expression a tangle of relief, pride, and something akin to fatherly approval.